


Spring Fling

by georgesjungle2



Category: Sanditon (TV 2019), Sanditon - Jane Austen, Welcome to Sanditon
Genre: F/M, Friendship/Love, Love at First Sight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 13:08:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30089574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/georgesjungle2/pseuds/georgesjungle2
Summary: Spring is in the air in Sanditon.Tom Parker brings in tourist with a landscaping/gardening contest.
Relationships: Charlotte Heywood & Sidney Parker, Lord Babington/Esther Denham, Mr Crowe/Alison Heywood
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	Spring Fling

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mickie Lewis](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Mickie+Lewis), [Rosie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosie/gifts).



> Just a little story just in time for Spring :)

# Competition Time

Sidney Parker walked around the greenhouse showing his friends around. Tom had the grand idea of a farm showdown to kick off the spring. Parker Farms was one of the area’s largest nursery in the area. Babington and Crowe were city folk, not that he wasn’t, but his roots had been in the Parker farm in Sanditon.

The landscape and garden contest had been an idea brought to life when Tom and Mary had broken down on the side of the road during one of their whirlwind adventures. The Heywood Farm in nearby Willingden had a petting zoo and Mary had found the place online to take the children. They too also had a greenhouse, although according to Tom, not nearly as splendid as theirs.

Mr. Heywood highly doubted it and suggested a landscape contest where area nurseries could create miniature garden landscapes and visitors could vote on the best. Each nursery could recommend their services and designs ideas to potential clients. It was a very good idea. Visitors would pay a small admittance fee, the nurseries would pay for their areas, various vendors could set up and sell related products (gardening supplies, canning supplies, benches, garden décor, etc.). The show winner would be given a small trophy.

It all sounded feasible. Mr. Hankins thought it was a very good idea as he was a flower enthusiast in addition to his vicar duties. He specifically enjoyed exotic blooms. He verbose on the subject, comparing them to the ladies in Sanditon of course, regarding the Garden of the Lord. The topic had gotten a little uncomfortable when it came to plucking blooms, but he had made a halfhearted apology of getting lost in his analogy.

Victoria Denham was delighted to hear about such a competition. She knew that it would bring in tourists and that was a good thing when it came to her nephew, Edward. The man had his looks, but not many prospects. She intended to get him hitched so he could stop sponging off her.

Crowe had been dragged from his city life in promise of free liquor and women that liked to get their hands dirty. So, he moped along as they watched the various vendors setting up around the Sanditon Fairgrounds. The Crown Hotel had set up a complimentary beer garden (1st beer only), knowing the workers would be indulging at the end of the workday. In two days, the show would be open to the public.

As he drank his beer, he observed the various people working as he lagged behind Parker and Babington quite a way as he had stopped to get a drink. “Good God, the smell is atrocious.” He spoke of the high smell of manure emanating from a nearby display that was being set up.

“Well, it’s manure, so that’s normal.” A young brunette quipped at him as she worked her rake spreading out mulch.

He gave her a good long look. Young, brown eyes, brown hair and not intimidated by a man clearly overdressed to be walking around like he owned the place, which he did own shares in this little Parker venture, so technically he did. “True enough, miss?”

Alison suppressed an eye roll. “Heywood.”

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Heywood.” Crowe said politely holding out his hand to shake hers.

“Do not take that hand,” Charlotte said coming towards her sister. “He is friends with Mr. Parker.” Crowe turned to see another brunette descending towards him. “Mr. Sidney Parker is the devil.”

Crowe laughed at her impression of Sidney. “So, I am guilty by association?” He looked at her. “You must also be a Miss Heywood, Charlotte type.” Sidney had come back to the hotel talking about a Heywood chit that had given him an earful about how Parker Farm was trying to sabotage the contest in their favor.

Charlotte narrowed her eyes at the man and then over to her sister. “This is Mr. Crowe.”

Crowe could tell Charlotte was trying to decide if she should also give him an earful. “Perhaps, I can offer a drink to compensate for my friend’s piss poor attitude.”

“I should be happy for one,” Alison said after giving Crowe a better look of appraisal.

“Fine, but don’t be gone long. We still have a lot to do.” Charlotte stepped away to go talk to others in her group.

“Sorry about that. Charlotte is a little stressed about this.” Alison said as she walked next to Mr. Crowe back towards the beer garden. “I’m Alison.”

Crowe made polite conversation with Alison for about an hour before his friends had come back looking for him. 

“I told you we’d find him here,” Babington quipped as he got himself a beer and sat down.

“What’s his problem?” Crowe asked Sidney as he was trying to decide who the young lady was. Crowe gave him a wicked grin. “Alison Heywood, this is Lord Babington and Mr. Sidney Parker, or as your sister would say, the devil incarnate.”

Sidney clenched his jaw as Crowe teased him. “Babington got rejected by a red head.”

Alison laughed. “You must mean Esther.”

Babington interest piped up. “You know her?”

“Of course, she is Charlotte’s roommate at the university.”

Babington sat in the chair next to Alison. “Well do tell.”

Alison gave him a bemused look as he looked like a gossip girl. Before she could spill the beans, she spotted Charlotte walking over her way. “Oh, I believe my boss has just realized I’ve not been back.” She grinned at Crowe. “Thanks for the beer. Lovely to meet you all.” She said as she hurried up and walked towards Charlotte before her sister could make a scene.

“Well, I do believe that this little adventure has potential,” Crowe crooned watching a very interesting young lady walk back towards her vendor space.

# The End of the Show

A weekend was not much time, but at the end of it Crowe had decided on a few things. First, there was something to be said about a lady who was not afraid to speak her mind. Second, Sanditon was not the backwater town he originally thought it was. Third, he had a feeling that Miss Alison Heywood was very likely to walk quietly but carry a very large stick.

Victoria Denham had invited a few key competitors to a luncheon party at Sanditon House. Miss Alison Heywood had been sitting next to Edward Denham. Somewhere between the soup and the main meal, Edward had obviously overstepped his bounds and was promptly not feeling well. Crowe assumed it might have had something to do with a jabbing of a butter knife by his luncheon companion after his overzealous attempt of flirting had not gone so well.

Babington had spent the three days annoying Esther Denham (with some slight information from Alison) to the point, while Tom was announcing the prize winner of the show, Babington was proving he could work really well with his hands and it wasn’t in the garden.

Sidney had found new appreciation for Charlotte Heywood when his former flame, Eliza Campion had been heard making disparaging remarks about Mary Parker and Eliza found her awfully expensive Louboutin high heels had been accidentally contaminated with the most stringent smelling ass manure that had been provided by Victoria Denham for the show. As Mrs. Campion had been one of the judges, it had cost her family not to win, but Mr. Heywood seemed alright with it. In the end, Charlotte Heywood had gotten hitched to a very eligible Sidney Parker.

Lastly, as Mr. Crowe had raised his toast to his friend at his wedding reception on the beach, Alison gave him a look that he readily interpreted that when she caught Charlotte’s bouquet, he best be ready to suffer the same fate as his friends.


End file.
